Website Content That Compels Customer Contact

Visit 100 websites and at least 99 of them will feature copy on the home page that reads something like, "Our company, XYZ IT, is the premier provider of technology services in the area. We've been in business since 1912, and are authorized by all the major manufacturers. Our people ..." You get the idea.

Visit 100 websites and at least 99 of them will feature copy on the home page that reads something like, “Our company, XYZ IT, is the premier provider of technology services in the area. We’ve been in business since 1912, and are authorized by all the major manufacturers. Our people …” You get the idea.

This is what many sales professionals do when writing executive summaries. They write all about themselves, how great they are. Unfortunately, no one cares.

Your Website Is about Your Customers

The first thing a visitor to your website should find on your home page is themselves. They should find something they recognize, something that tells them: We understand you and your problems, and we can help you fix them.

Read your current website copy. If most sentences begin with your company name, the word “our,” the word “we,” or the word “I,” then you’ve got ineffective content. Every paragraph should begin by stating a value to the customer. Instead of “XYZ IT has the expertise to build the network of your dreams,” try “Build a network that solves ABC challenges and fulfills XYZ goals with help from XYZ IT.”

Write What You Want Your Website to Do

Different companies use their website to do different things. Some simply want an excellent online brochure their prospective customers can visit to learn more about them. Others want to provide more interactivity, with various tools and services visitors can consume directly from the website. Still others want to sell directly from their website.

The first key to an effective website is to define what you want yours to do. Think about making your website the hub from which your customers can obtain the valuable information they need to make great decisions around engaging you.

Bringing Visitors to Your Website

The buzz in the social media world is that search engine optimization (SEO) is the holy grail of website marketing.

At its simplest, SEO is an effort to make sure all the words anyone would use to find your product or service appear in the right headings and “tags” on your website. The problem with that is your competitors know those words, too, and have them posted copiously throughout their content. So if you’ve been told SEO by itself will bring tons of visitors to your site all by itself, be skeptical.

All of your marketing activities–from emails to social media postings and call campaigns–should point prospective customers to your website to learn more. Every page should contain inviting opportunities to learn more about your other services and value.

Provide a Call to Action

All effective marketing culminates in a call to action, telling prospective customers exactly what they should do next to accelerate their progress toward becoming involved with your product or service.

Your website should make it easy for your visitors to find the information they need to get started. Move your prospects through your website and guide them to the point where they reach out and ask for your help.

Write Compelling Content

When you want to sell something, or otherwise convince someone to engage with you, it isn’t enough to write well. Your written content may be grammatically flawless, with excellent syntax and proper sentence structure. You can write perfect prose that still doesn’t motivate the reader to take an action. For that you need compelling content that shares the value and solution for the customer. Structure and compose your content to compel customers to continue reading until they’re convinced to take the next call to action.

For assistance with the creation of compelling custom content, visit www.hmcwritenow.com or contact hmc@hmcwritenow.com.

Senior Resultant Howard M. Cohen has more than 30 years of experience in the information technology industry. He’s an authorized CompTIA instructor and a regular contributor to IT industry publications, including Insight’s Learn, the information portal within the newly reimagined Insight.com. As a Fortune 500-ranked global provider of hardware, software, cloud and service solutions, Insight’s 5,400 teammates provide clients the guidance and expertise needed to select, implement and manage complex technology solutions to drive business outcomes. Through world-class people, partnerships, services and delivery solutions, Insight helps businesses run smarter